Hinduism: History & Belief
A talk by
Gary Auker
toto
Springfield Park Baptist Church
on Tuesday 27th November 2012
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Hinduism: History & Belief
Talk overview• Hinduism timeline
• Key words & concepts in Hinduism
• Most important God’s in Hinduism
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• Most important God’s in Hinduism
• Hindu’s key belief’s
• Comparing Hinduism with Christianity
• Hindu influence in Popular Western culture
• Summary of Hinduism
• Hindu scriptures
Hinduism: History & Belief
Hinduism origin & timeline
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Hinduism: History & Belief
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Hinduism originated in North East India around the river Indus (Sindhu)
There are no known founding Father’s of the religion.
Hinduism: History & Belief
Christianity
Judaism
~ 2000 BC 30 AD
Timeline of Major World Religions
33%
Humanity
2010
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2000 BC 1000 BC 1000 AD 2000 AD1 AD
Islam
~ 2000 BCAbraham
622 AD
30 ADJesus
Muhammad
Genesis 15:5 …Look up at the
sky and count the stars.…So
shall your offspring be.23%
14%Hinduism
Oldest Hindu
Scriptures
~ 1700 – 1100 BC
Hinduism: History & Belief
Key words &
concepts in Hinduismconcepts in Hinduism
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Hinduism: keywords
• Karma – good life leads to good rebirth in next life
• Samsara – endless cycle of death & rebirth
Moksha – release from cycle of rebirth by following
• Brahman – the one supreme cosmic spirit that fills the Universe
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• Dharma – a person’s moral duty
• Atman – eternal soul is a person’s essential self
• Ahimsa – non-violence and respect for all living things
• Moksha – release from cycle of rebirth by following
the path of devotion, insight, & action
so person becomes united with Brahman
Hinduism: History & Belief
Most important God’s
in Hinduismin Hinduism
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Hinduism: History & Belief
• Some Hindu’s worship many God’s whilst others treat them
as emanating from the One Cosmic Spirit BRAHMAN.
• So different forms of Hinduism can be viewed as both
Monotheistic (One God) or Polytheistic (many Gods)
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Monotheistic (One God) or Polytheistic (many Gods)
• All Hindu’s share the ideas of reincarnation & the release from this cycle once enlightenment has been attained.
Hinduism: History & Belief
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Brahma Vishnu Shiva
Hinduism: History & Belief
1. Matsya (fish)---saves Sage Manu from floods.
2. Kurma (tortoise)---sustains the earth on his back.
3. Varaha (boar)---brings the earth back from the
bottom of the ocean
4. Narasimha (man-lion)---kills the demon
5. Vamana (dwarf)---the first human incarnation
Avatars (Incarnations) of Preserver God Vishnu
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5. Vamana (dwarf)---the first human incarnation
6. Parasurama (the warrior with an axe)---s
7. Rama---kills Ravana, the demon king of Lanka.
8. Sri Krishna---the most popular incarnation
9. Buddha---Hindus consider Buddha as an incarnation
10. Kalkin (a man on a white horse)---this incarnation
is yet to come and will mark the end of all evil in the
world for 10,000 years.
Hinduism: History & Belief
Brahma -known as the
Creator GodBrahmanone supreme spirit
Trimurti- 3 forms of
the Brahman
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Vishnu –Known as the
Preserver God
Shiva(Siva)- known
as the
Destroyer or
Transforming
God
Hinduism: History & Belief• Brahman – the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and
support of the universe . All things emanate from the Brahman.
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Hinduism: History & Belief
Hindu scriptures
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Hinduism: Sacred Texts
• Earliest Hindu scriptures
Rigveda ~ 1700 BC written
in Sankrit text.
• Shruti –that which is
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• Shruti –that which is
revealed. Includes the Vedas
• Smriti–that which is
remembered
• Veda – means knowledge
Hinduism: History & Belief
Hindu’s key belief’s& &
Festivals
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Hinduism: Time in Hinduism
Satya Yuga 1,728,000 yearsTreta Yuga 1,296,000 yearsDvapara Yuga 864,000 yearsKali Yuga 432,000 years__________ Total 4,320,000 One yuga cycle.
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Total 4,320,000 One yuga cycle.
Satya Yuga – a golden age life spans 100,000 yrs.
Kali Yuga – said to havestarted about 3,000 BCAge of discord comes to an End when Vishnu returns asKalkin (his 10th Avatar) ridingOn a white horse. 2000 yuga = 1 Brahman day/night
= 2 kapla.
Hinduism: different sectsHinduism is not a single set of belief’s but has many different forms but all sharethe ideas of reincarnation & the release from this cycle once enlightenment has been reached.
ŚrautaThe Saura sect that
worships Surya as
the supreme
SmartismSmartism is a
denomination of
Hinduism that places
ShaivismBrahma, Vishnu and
Rudra are not
Deities different
VaishnavismVaishnavism
generally does not
accept the Trimurti
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the supreme
person of
godhead. Doesn't
accept the
Trimurti.
Surya is Brahman
in the morning,
Vishnu in the
afternoon and
Shiva in the
evening.
Hinduism that places
emphasis on a group of
five deities rather than
just a single deity.[
Deities different
from Shiva, but
rather are forms of
Shiva.
accept the Trimurti
concept. For
example, the Dvaita
school holds Vishnu
alone to be the
supreme God, with
Shiva subordinate
Hinduism: History & Belief
In Hinduism, there is not just one purpose of human life, but four:
• Dharma - fulfilling one's purpose
• Artha - prosperity
• Kama - desire, sexuality, enjoyment
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• Kama - desire, sexuality, enjoyment
• Moksha - enlightenment
Hinduism: History & Belief
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Festival of Ganga Dashara at Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar, 2005
Hinduism: Festivals• Diwali (festival of lights) held on the date of the new moon
in either October or November. ( Diwali was on 13th Nov in 2012)
• One story says the
festival is celebrated
on the occasion of Lord
Krishna and his wife
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Krishna and his wife
Satyabhama killing a
demon Narakasura.
• Krishna said to have had a
virgin birth (~ 3228 BC) and
is the incarnation (Avatar)
of the preserver God Vishnu
Hinduism: History & Belief
Hindu influence in
Popular Western culturePopular Western culture
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Hinduism: History & Belief
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Eternal struggle between the forces of light & darknessThe Force is in all things just like Hindu Cosmic Spirit Brahman
Hinduism: History & Belief
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Hindu God Vishnu has blue skin and
takes on many forms known as Avatars
Avatar film premiered in London on December 10, 2009
Colour blue signifies
Vishnu’s
infinite attributes
Hinduism: History & Belief
Comparing Hinduism
with Christianitywith Christianity
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Hinduism: Hinduism & ChristianityDoctorine Christianity ref. Hindu Coments
Creation By God Gen 1:1 By Brahma Brahma is the creator God in the Hinduism.
Nature of GodTrinity Matt 28:19 Trimurti
Hindu Trimurti (Great Trinity) is personified in 3 forms
(Brahma the creator, Vishnu - the preserver, Shiva - the
destroyer or transformer )of the Brahman - the One
Supreme Cosmic Spirit .
Nature of
Man Fallen, sinful Rom 5:12
Man's problem
is ignorance
Man soul separate from realising he is part of Brahman
Cosmic Spirit.
When man realizes that he is part of God, he will leave the
cycle of reincarnation and will achieve the state of moksha
or enlightenment.
Jesus Christ
Saviour,Eternal
Son of God
Mt 1:21
Lk 1:35 Avatar
Hindus believe that Jesus was the incarnation of a Hindu
deity
in human form. They will glady worship Him along with
other gods.
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Jesus Christ Son of God Lk 1:35 Avatar other gods.
Bible
Only inspired
Word of God 2 Tim 3:16 Inspired
Hindus believe that all the “Holy Books” are inspired of God.
This includes the Bible and even the Qu'ran.
Bhagavad GitaFalse revelation Rev 22:18
Inspired Word
of God
Hindu's believe there are many inspired Holy Books which
include the Gita, Bible & Qu'ran.
Salvation
By grace through
faith in Christ Eph 2:8-9 By works
Moksha or salvation is achieved by accumulating enough
good karma to exit the endless cycle of reincarnation.
Means of
Salvation Blood of Christ Eph 1:7 Good karma see above.
Assurance of
Salvation
Realized in
Christ 1 Jn 5:13 Impossible No one can have it.
Atonement Penal Substitution 2 Cor 5:21 None
Hindu teaching about grace see no need for an atonement
for sin,
but simply offers forgiveness without satisfaction of the
judgement on sin required by a holy God.
Hinduism: History & Belief
Hindu Caste System
• The caste system, prescribed in the vedas, was
'a division of society to preserve society'
• The caste system divided people by occupation
i.e. teachers and philosophers were brahmins;
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• No caste was higher or more important (superior) to another.
All were equal and acknowledged as essential to the society.
i.e. teachers and philosophers were brahmins;
• fighters were kshatriya;
• shopkeepers, moneylenders and trades people were vaishya;
• servants and cleaners were shudra.
Hinduism: History & Belief
Summary of Hinduism
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Hinduism: Summary
• World’s oldest living religion ( 4,000 + year history).
• Hinduism 3rd largest religion in world today (14%) with,
around 1 billion followers mainly in India.
• Living things go through cycles of birth & rebirth until
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• Time runs in cycles lasting 4.32 million years
• Living things go through cycles of birth & rebirth until
they attain Moksha (enlightenment) & are re-united
with Brahman
• Entire Universe will last for 100 Brahma years
= 311 trillion human years.